After the birthday banquet, Su Jiaojiao went to the Luo Family, while Shen Jianguo rushed to Dragon Country Bank with the power of attorney. To avoid drawing attention, Liu Dongmei and her daughter returned to the Shen residence to wait.
“Sorry, Brother Shen, but you cannot access Ms. Su Jiaojiao’s funds at this time,” Bank Manager Jiang told Shen Jianguo.
Shen Jianguo’s pupils contracted in agitation. Gripping Manager Jiang’s hands, he demanded, “Manager Jiang, what do you mean by this?”
Manager Jiang explained, “It’s like this: your power of attorney comes with a three-day grace period. During these three days, the grantor can revoke the authorization at any time. Therefore, the authorized party can only access the bank funds after this period expires.”
“How can this be?” Shen Jianguo exclaimed in disbelief, still clutching Manager Jiang’s hands. “Manager Jiang, why have I never heard of such a regulation before?”
Manager Jiang pushed his hands away and said, “Brother Shen, you never asked about it before. These are the bank’s standard terms and conditions.
Brother Shen, if you wish to manage Su Jiaojiao’s assets, you must wait three days. Once her grace period is over, you’ll be able to control her funds in the bank. Even though we’re good brothers, I must follow the rules. Please understand, Brother Shen.”
“Manager Jiang, can’t you make an exception?” Shen Jianguo glanced around and whispered, “Once I withdraw the money from the bank, I’ll give you this much, alright?” He held up five fingers.
Manager Jiang’s eyes flickered. “Five hundred?”
“Five thousand,” Shen Jianguo whispered. “What do you think?”
A bank manager’s salary was barely a hundred yuan at most. Five thousand yuan was a fortune—who wouldn’t be tempted?
In the past, Manager Jiang might have been swayed.
However, he had personally received orders from above. How could he knowingly violate them? If an investigation ensued, losing his position as bank manager would be the least of his worries—embezzling such a large sum could lead to execution by firing squad.
He didn’t dare gamble with his life.
Manager Jiang said sternly, “Brother Shen, what kind of person do you take me for? I’m merely following regulations. I advise you to return home and come back after three days. As long as the grantor doesn’t revoke the authorization during this period, you’ll still be able to access and manage the funds then.”
Seeing that Manager Jiang remained unmoved, Shen Jianguo raised his offer. “Ten thousand—no, twenty thousand, how about that? If you process the procedures for me now, I’ll give you twenty thousand as soon as I withdraw the money.”
Twenty thousand yuan was more than Jiang Hongzhi could earn in a lifetime as a bank manager. How could he not be tempted?
Manager Jiang’s gaze intensified, his fists clenching and unclenching, his heart torn and conflicted.
Then, he took a deep breath and declared sternly, “Shen Jianguo, what do you take me, the manager of Dragon Country Bank, for? Some capitalist who can be bribed and bought with money? Enough! Bank regulations are clear. If you want to withdraw the money, wait three days.”
He thought to himself, “It seems this Shen Jianguo is very anxious about the money Su Jiaojiao deposited in the bank. Otherwise, why would he be willing to offer twenty thousand yuan?”
An hour ago, he had received an order: there were Hong Kong City spies exploiting corrupt elements who desired to go to Hong Kong City for a life of luxury, transferring large sums of money from the mainland to Hong Kong City.
Therefore, anyone who comes to the bank to withdraw large sums of money must be held for three days pending investigation, which is why the bank has various regulations.
Involving connections with spies—this matter clearly carries significant weight. Not only would he himself be investigated, but his family could very likely be implicated as well.
No matter how much Jiang Hongzhi loved money, he knew when to draw the line.
In the end, Shen Jianguo arrived with high hopes but returned in disappointment.
Watching Shen Jianguo’s furious retreating back, Bank Manager Jiang furrowed his brows.
He had some rapport with Shen Jianguo, and as the bank manager, he naturally understood the situation with Shen Jianguo’s power of attorney.
That money was a safety net left by Shen Jianguo’s ex-wife for her biological daughter, Su Jiaojiao. The annual dividends from the Textile Factory were deposited into their bank, and he knew better than anyone how much Su Jiaojiao’s personal assets in the bank amounted to so far.
But Shen Jianguo’s ex-wife was a thoughtful and capable woman. Though she left her daughter such a large sum, she stipulated that it could only be accessed after she turned eighteen.
If he remembered correctly, Su Jiaojiao had just turned eighteen today.
She had just turned eighteen, and her birthday hadn’t even passed yet. Shen Jianguo showed up at the bank with a power of attorney, without bringing the person in question, to withdraw the money. No matter how you looked at it, the situation seemed suspicious.
Could Shen Jianguo really have some connection with Hong Kong City spies?
Jiang Hongzhi thought to himself, “It seems I’ll have to keep my distance from him from now on.”
Shen Jianguo stormed back to the Shen residence.
Liu Dongmei and Shen Qingyu, who had been anxiously waiting at home, rushed up to him as soon as they saw him and asked, “Old Shen (Dad), did you get the money?”
Shen Jianguo’s face was dark with anger as he replied, “Get what? That bastard Jiang Hongzhi usually acts like my brother, but when it really mattered, he didn’t lift a finger to help. The money couldn’t be withdrawn at all. I’m absolutely furious.”
Liu Dongmei’s expression changed. She grabbed Shen Jianguo’s arm and asked urgently,
“Old Shen, what are you saying? You mean the money wasn’t withdrawn? How could it not be withdrawn?
Didn’t we get the power of attorney? And it was signed in front of so many witnesses—it’s legally binding. How could it not be withdrawn?”
Shen Qingyu was also very anxious and said, “That’s right, Dad. Didn’t you already make arrangements with the manager? Did he change his mind at the last minute?”
“Exactly,”
Shen Jianguo said angrily, “He said it’s a bank regulation—documents like powers of attorney have a three-day cooling-off period. Only after these three days, if the person in question doesn’t change their mind, can the authorized person access and use the money.
That bastard Jiang Hongzhi, why didn’t he mention such a rule earlier? All those times I gave him nice things and treated him to meals—it was all for this moment.
And what does he do? Shows no mercy, doesn’t give me any face at all, and outright refused to let me withdraw that money.”
“What? A three-day cooling-off period?” Liu Dongmei asked in astonishment. “So you’re saying that during these three days, Su Jiaojiao can change her mind at any time?”
“Exactly,” Shen Jianguo confirmed.
Liu Dongmei was immediately incredulous. “How can that be? I’ve never heard of such a rule before?”
At this point, she thought of something and asked excitedly, “Old Shen, let’s offer Jiang Hongzhi money! If a thousand yuan isn’t enough, then two thousand! With that much money, I refuse to believe he won’t be tempted. As for rules or not, they’re just talk. Doesn’t everything come down to money in the end?”
Shen Jianguo glared at her and said irritably, “Do you think I haven’t tried that? The offer I made wasn’t one or two thousand, but twenty thousand yuan.”
“What, twenty thousand yuan?” Shen Qingyu suddenly became agitated, her voice rising sharply. “Dad, how could you give so much money?”
Hearing Shen Qingyu’s words, Shen Jianguo’s anger surged instantly. He shouted at her furiously,
“He wouldn’t even bother with twenty thousand yuan, and you’re complaining that I offered too much? If you have the ability, why don’t you make Jiang Hongzhi withdraw the money for us immediately? You fool.”